The Chief's classic far post headed equaliser at Doncaster Rovers on Saturday 14th January 2006 marked his 200th career goal, a major milestone for any striker. Despite references to the contrary, most notably on ITV's The Championship programme, it was definitely goal 200 and not 199, a major database used for references has omitted his goal for Bristol City at Luton Town on 29th September 1992 in the Anglo-Italian Cup. Basis mistake!!

His tally:

Halifax Town 23 League goals, 7 others

Watford 0 goals

Bristol City 48 / 10

Swindon Town 31 / 5

Huddersfield Town 15 / 4

Tranmere Rovers 26 / 6

Sheffield United 7 / 3

Chesterfield 15 / 0

TOTAL 200

WELL DONE CHIEF!

The article below first Appeared in Matchday Programme for the Chesterfield v Huddersfield Town League Match on 22nd October, hence the plentiful Huddersfield references!

By Phil Tooley

It's not every week you're able to play against your home Town team, especially if you've graced the colours of that team in the past. No doubt Steve Blatherwick's looking forward to the matches against Nottingham Forest, his home Town and former Club for those reasons. This afternoon sees Wayne Allison set to line up against the team representing his birthplace and a team he helped escape relegation from and then set the pace in what is now the Championship in his spell of just under two years.

Born in Huddersfield 37 years and 6 days ago, The Chief joined The Terriers in November 1997 from Swindon Town, indeed he'd played against them for The Robins in a 1-1 draw earlier that season. At the time, Town were under new management, Brian Horton had left and Peter Jackson had taken over, but the side were still rock bottom of the table. Wayne's bow was in a 2-1 defeat at QPR on 22^nd November 1997 but he soon helped them to a memorable 5-2 win at Crewe, scoring one goal, but by Christmas they were still deep in trouble in the relegation zone. A 5-1 win and another Chief strike against Oxford in January seemed to be the catalyst to confidence and Jackson's team steadily climbed out of trouble and finished a creditable 16^th.

The following season, Huddersfield went out of the traps at a pace and were to of the table by October, they'd had a confidence boosting League Cup draw with Premiership Everton, Wayne scored the goal in a 1-1 result, but in a mirror image of the previous season, they faded towards the end, but a 10^th place finish was a creditable first full season under Jackson and featuring The Chief for the duration.

So how does Wayne remember his time at what was then The McAlpine Stadium? "I always look out for their results, at the moment they're top of the league and we're doing quite well so it'll be nice to get one over on them. All my memories from there are good memories. When I arrived they were bottom of the league but we managed to stay up in what became known as The Great Escape. That seems like a long time ago now but I've got a bit of affection for the Club, it's a good club, a big club with a lot of nice people there."

One of his Great Escape colleague was of course our own Lee Richardson, (a player back then!) and in addition we have Huddersfield born Adam Smith in our squad whilst Brandon, Hudson, Carss and Booty have all plied their trade at Saltergate, making this a special encounter for many. "Everyone will want to play in the game and want to do well, so that adds some spice really. I think it will be a terrific game between two good sides that are on a decent run in front of a good crowd. I'm looking forward to it," said the big front man.

Huddersfield are of course on a great run, just a couple of defeats in the league this season, lots of goals scored, so how does Wayne see the current batch of Terriers? "They're top of the tree and with good reason, they're strong and also work and mix it, they can play the long ball and short ball games, they're full of energy, have a lot of youth and a lot of pace and they fully deserve to be where they are." And on his direct opponents, likely to be David Mirfin and Nathan Clarke, " Mirfin and the two Clarke boys, Nathan and Tom, are all difficult opponents, one reason they're where they are is they're very good defensively as well as at scoring goals, it's a team thing. I know Peter Jackson and Terry Yorath instil in their boys how important it is to be solid at the back."

Last season here at Saltergate, there was plenty of chopping and changing in the attack department. Allison and Caleb Folan looked to have a good understanding for much of the season, but this summer of course, Colin Larkin has joined the squad and looks to have formed a good understanding with the experienced Chief. "It's working quite well", says Wayne, "we've had a few games together and it's co-incided with the good run we've had, we're scoring a few goals and everything seems to be gelling quite nicely. Any striker's always striving to hit a patch of good form and we're in a decent run at the moment."

Indeed, the last four time Wayne and Colin have started together, we've notched up 10 points from a possible 12, Saturday's draw at MK Dons the only 'drops' in that time, though the first few games of the partnership were somewhat less fruitful. However at that time Larkin was striving for full fitness, defeats against Oldham, Huddersfield (in the Cup) and Tranmere were the first three times the pair battled together.

Last season, Wayne's first here at Saltergate, started well, indeed he score on the opening day of the season in what was his 750^th first team appearance, though points dried up a little in the second half of the campaign. A few defeats at the start of this season but more recently, back to point picking form, so what does Allison see as the main difference this term compared to last? "It's hard to put your finger on it, perhaps a bit more belief, we've built on the strengths of last season and realise what we can actually achieve and that's reflected in how we're playing at the moment."

So what of the midweek defeat at Macclesfield in the LDV Vans Trophy, managed by the man who was replaced by Peter Jackson back in 1997 and whose first goal was scored by Dutchman Clyde Wijnhard, the man Huddersfield paid £750,000 for in the summer of 1999 and effectively the man that replaced The Chief in The Terriers line up. Did he see it as a match that would have been good to win, but not too bad to lose? "We approach every single game in exactly the sameway , it was a game we wanted to win, if you win all of the games in it, you get to the Final at the Millennium Stadium, so it was a very important game to the players and the Club because it's worth a lot of money if you get there, so make no mistake, we approached the game as importantly as any other and we wanted to win it."

So, 37 last Sunday, how's The Chief finding things? "I feel fine, but at least I've got a Stannah Stair Lift now so I can make it up and down stairs OK!" And of the team this season, " It's bright, we're optimistic, as long as we keep on believing we'll be OK."

Plenty of people have believed in the Chief, last Saturday not only marked the eve of his birthday, but his 800^th first team appearance in a career with Halifax Town, Watford, Bristol City, Swindon Town, Huddersfield Town, Tranmere Rovers, Sheffield United and Chesterfield.